Disclaimer: Stellaris belongs to Paradox Games whilst Fire Emblem belongs to Intelligent Systems.
Garreg Mach Monastery stands serenely in the Oghma Mountains in Central Fódlan, situated between three of the great powers in the continent, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, the Adrestian Empire and the Leicester Alliance. This fortified Holy Site has two functions. The first being the Holy See of the Church of Seiros where it exercises the universal ecclesiastical jurisdiction of its congregation throughout Fódlan. Led by Archbishop Rhea, she oversees the operations of both the Church's mandate and the day to day operations of the Monastery. As for its secondary operation, Garreg Mach doubles as a military academy simple called the Officers Academy, a Military School where the students can attend the classes to build their aptitude in the arts of warfare and the theoretical applications of magics in combat scenarios. Built centuries ago, in response to several invasions and ransacking marauders from across the land, the Academy was established by the Church of Seiros to provide an educational institution which prepares the Noble Sons and Daughters (with a few sponsored commoners allowed to enroll) for commissioning into their respective nation's militaries.
Organized into three 'Official' Houses based on their nationalities, the Blue Lions of the Holy Kingdom, the Black Eagles of the Empire and the Golden Deers of the Alliance with the added discovery of an 'unofficial fourth' House the Ashen Wolves made of disavowed individuals from the former three nations. Each house, save for the recently added Ashen Wolves were led by the scions of their respective nation's rulers. Edelgard von Hresvelg of the Adrestian Black Eagles, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd of the Faerghusi Blue Lions, Claude von Riegan of the Leicesterian Golder Deers, and recently through the insistence of his fellow housemates, one known as Yuri, the head of the Ashen Wolves from the Monastery's underground caverns and dungeons quite appropriately called 'the Abyss'. These 'Four Houses of Garreg Mach' study with varying degrees of diligence in the Monastery pursuing their individual academic excellence in weapons proficiency, battlefield tactics and the skill needed for the day to day hardships of campaigning armies from their numerous instructors handpicked by Archbishop Rhea herself.
One such instructor stood out amongst the rest, a charismatic and equally martially talented maiden by the name of Byleth Eisner. She along with her father Jeralt Reus Eisner became instructors to the Garreg Mach Officer's Academy after a chance encounter with the three house heads of said Academy. Even though Byleth was the most recent addition to the Officer Academy's faculty, the young woman was quickly attaining a respectable rate of popularity amongst the student body. She has shown to be able to release the inner scholastic excellence of all of the students in Garreg Mach. From the shirking Bernadetta, the suspecting Felix and the laid-back Claude von Riegan himself who often can be seen teasing all of his classmates throughout the monastery by hanging upside down on whatever ledge he can climb upon. Byleth demonstrated from her years of being a mercenary under the tutelage of her father Jeralt Eisner, a former Knight. Lending her skills to the highest bidder to not only be a superb strategist but also an excellent martial artist, able to keep up or outright best several of the more combat-oriented teachers in the monastery. Once every month, the students would be given a field assignment by Archbishop Rhea to properly apply their acquired teachings in a real-life scenario monitored by the Academy. It has been about at least a few months now of Byleth leading the Four Houses into several excursions on behalf of the Church's Militant arm, the Knights of Seiros. Together they bested marauding bandits, rebellious folks, a mysteriously shadowy cult called 'Those who Slither in the Dark' and the occasional rogue monster pillaging the wilderness.
There was even an incident where said rogues tried to breach the Monastery's sanctums to steal the Sword of the Creator. Thankfully, the Professor put a stop to those plans and to her surprise she for some reason can safely wield the Hero Relic herself. If it had not been otherwise with the blessing of Lady Rhea, the Sword would have consumed her and turned her into another savage beast that she had cut down many before.
Every now and then however for the young woman, Byleth would be left to ponder over several troubling discoveries about the nature of the Church of Seiros, specifically the origins of the Sacred Weapons and the Crests that the Noble Families possess from all across Fódlan . These powerful enhancements gave the likes of which of most of her students' extraordinary abilities ranging from inhuman strength, incredible magical affinity based on Faith or Reason, steadfast constitution and superior dexterity to name the few. The Professor knew that the Crests were inherited through their blood thanks to being descendants of the Ten Elites, the progenitors of the modern-day Noble Bloodlines of Fódlan hailed as heroes across the continent. But a sinister revelation seeks to shed light or in Byleth's intuition, a dark shadow upon what she knows about the old legends. According to several of the expository speeches by the arrogant organization known as 'Those who slither in the Dark' specifically from … the Ten Elites weren't fighting alongside Seiros herself but in fact, were part of the diabolical army of Nemesis as the Fell King's subordinates. Together they wreaked havoc across the continent. But as time passes, the Ten Elites grew disgusted by the Fell King's genocide of the Nabateans and after a few carefully placed words by Seiros, defected to the Goddesses'' side after seeing Nemesis becoming a greater evil than anyone could ever conceive of foreseeing. They joined hands with the Goddess and vanquished Nemesis and drove the Agarthans, the people known as 'Those who slither in the Dark' underground bringing peace once again back in Fódlan in what the history books would call 'the War of Heroes'. These Ten Elites, after the War of the Heroes spread themselves out across the continent forming the Noble bloodlines and the consequential formation of the three nations of Fódlan.
Most macabre of such revelations was finding out that the Relic Weapons that all of Ten Elites possessed were made from the bones of once-living breathing ancient civilization known as the Nabateans. And not the metaphorical ruins of ancient arcane gizmos beyond humanity's understanding, but the bones of actual living, breathing Nabateans. All fashioned into powerful weapons the houses enjoy such use for generations. The same could be said about the Crests, fashioned from the bloodied hearts of the Nabateans bestowing the users its expansive power.
Byleth's inquiries into the Relics and Crests disturbed her greatly. She was always a devout follower of the Church of Seiros but her findings shed a sinister shadow on the organization as a whole. She wanted to talk to Rhea privately on the matter but the Professor has yet to muster the courage to ask the Archbishop for a moment of her time. Sothis was no help either due to the inner entity within her saying that she couldn't remember much of the truth.
Yet all of her hesitance in uncovering the truth after so painfully gathering the clues and putting them together didn't help her mentally speaking. The life of a sellsword was lonely up until her assignment as a Military Instructor into the Officer's Academy. Her nurturing approach to each individual student made her one of the most popular and respected teachers in Garreg Mach made her cherish each of her students from all 4 Houses like her own little siblings and children. But every night in her dreams, the Professor was besieged with nightmares, each different yet each equally as terrifying. One night she would dream Edelgard gouging Dimitri's eye with his own spear. Another day she could see Dimitri turn into a great feral beast set to devour everything in its path. Another dream she can see the scorched flames of some of her younger students like Ashe, Bernadette, and Lysithea crying out into the heavens as their flesh melted off of their bones while continuing to scream. Her most recent dream is a nightmare of a great Dragon known around the Continent as an 'Immaculate One' spreading its wings across the Continent blanketing the sun and plunging all of Fódlan into eternal darkness as Byleth drowned in the bodies of her own students and friends whom she grew attached to throughout her several month tenure.
These dreams only made her more protective of her students even more. Lady Rhea would forewarn her every now and then of Byleth's leeway in helping the students of the Academy achieve their fullest potential to be too much at the cost of her student's individual initiative to learn as they go. But not as several other members of the Faculty and Academic Councils were complaining as Byleth's tireless efforts couldn't argued with the results. The Class of 1180 was the highest achievers of Students in the Monastery that everyone has seen. If it weren't for the baggage of the questionable history of the Continent's Relics and Crests, Byleth would have been content to retire from the Mercenary Life and fully devote herself to the Academic Operations of Garreg Mach and maybe even help rehabilitate the Abyss into something more functional with the help of the Fourth House's leader, Yuri.
After contending with the 'incident' happening at the undergrounds of the Monastery called the Abyss, the Ashen Wolves and the rest of their kin were slowly beginning to adjust and warm themselves up at the surface. Lady Rhea has initially wanted to disband the Ashen Wolves for several crimes they had committed during their ten years of existence but after some carefully worded insistence from Byleth, the other Three House Leaders and several members of the Faculty, Rhea allowed them to stay. Thanks to the efforts of Yuri and Byleth, they reintegrated the Abyss and the Ashen Wolves into the Academy's curriculum and grounds. But even then, the Professor's discovery of her mother's immaculate corpse that lay beneath warmly in the Abyss and how Aelfred's obsession in reviving her allowed him to be consumed by the Blood of the Ashen Wolf students further confirmed yet equally disturbed Byleth of the sinister effects of any artifacts related to the Crests, the Church and the Goddess Seiros.
Yet alas, Byleth has to contend with her duties as a young Professor whilst also conducting her own independent investigation on the Crests and Hero Relics held so sacred by the influential Church of Seiros. Even Sothis, whenever she was awake from her virtual reality slumber would often urge Byleth forward in the Professor's investigations. Her status allowed her access to several restricted parts of the Academy (and it was also how she stumbled upon the Abyss and the Ashen Wolves in the first place by accident). But with so many Crests and so many powerful Relics gathered into one place in a neutral territory was only going to invite trouble from Sinister forces…
Just like what is happening now to the Monastery…
"They are coming! Hold the Gates!" the Gatekeeper alarmed.
The Monastery's garrison troops and levied volunteers from the Academy Faculty and Students rushed to build defenses across Garreg Mach's perimeter. Ever since the recent addition of the Ashen Wolves into the Monastery, the Agarthans have been stepping up their attacks in their bids to breach the Monastery's walls. Likely attracted by the students Crests and the Relic Weapons inside. Most of the assault consist of non-humanoid individuals such as Dark Beasts and these strange but incredibly impervious Golems supported by the Agarthan's barrage of Dark Magic.
It was a grueling long night with an earlier rain shower a few hours back, yet the air continued to permeate a cold mist that shivered the Monastery's defenders.
"Seize the Crests and the Hero Relics!" one of the Agarthans shouted.
Claude, Bernadette, Petra and Ashe lead the Archers up on the walls shooting down all attempts for the Agarthan's to scale the Walls. Edelgard, Yuri, Byleth's own father Jeralt and the more on-foot members of the Monastery fought alongside their bow-oriented comrades on the walls with complementary respite from any afflicted wounds with the help of Lady Rhea and Mercedes healing magics. Dimitri and the rest of the Knightly individuals of the monastery stood in reserve behind the gates in preparation to counter off any attempt of a breakthrough as the Monastery's last line of defense.
Byleth was glad that her nightmares involving her Students weren't coming to fruition but Sothis, a little entity that is somewhat fused inside her mysteriously warned her that her dreams can be prophetic in nature and she should be ready to make the difficult choices when they arrive. But for now, she is cutting down an Agarthan Soldier with her own sword, gifted by Rhea, the Sword of the Creator.
"Here is something to believe in!" Byleth declared.
The Sword sliced the Agarthan in half, killing the marauder in one fell chop.
The Agarthan cowered in fear over the sight of the Sword of the Creator in Byleth's hands. Some of them in the walls, terrified over facing such a foe took their chances and jumped off the walls to escape being slain by the Holy Blade.
"They are retreating!" Claude smiled as he drew his bow for another release of his arrows to shoot down the fleeing Agarthans.
"Oh no!" Mercedes voice cried from below the walls.
There was a makeshift infirmary where injured defenders were taken to be healed of their wounds lead by Archbishop Rhea.
"Mercedes!" Ashe turned tailed and rush down the ramparts. Byleth, concerned for one of the Monastery's most talented Clerics followed alongside the young lad.
Once downstairs. Byleth and Ashe saw to their relief that Mercedes, alongside Lysithea, Marianne, Lindhardt and fellow faculty member Manuela to be perfectly unharmed but very weary from their frantic Hippocratic duties of life saving. The same however cannot be said by Flayn and Rhea who were left writhing in pain in tune with the injured.
"What happened?" Ashe asked his fellow Blue Lion Mercedes.
"I was helping the injured when Lady Rhea suddenly gave pause suddenly. Then she started to grab her head and flail herself around the infirmary as if in pain. Marianne tried to lead her and Flayn to rest thinking it was just all the duress of the injured coming into our infirmary but they shook her off." Mercedes replied.
"Oh, by the Goddess, what is happening to Lady Rhea?" Marianne queried.
"Lady Rhea what is happening to you?" Byleth asked at the downed Archbishop.
"It is them…" Rhea muttered.
"Who?" Byleth urged her.
"My Children… I can feel them… the Dark ones…retreat... we have to… hurry… before they…destroy the…Garreg Mach." Rhea continued.
"What? What are they planning?" Byleth asked,
"The… Agarthans… they are about to unleash… their Dark Magics on us… one last bid to destroy the… Monastery…" Rhea said.
"Destroy Gareg Mach? How?" Ashe asked overhearing the Archbishop's ramblings.
"They will… use… Javelins… great Javelins of Light to darken the moon… make the Monastery Erupt… in one last bid to destroy us all." Rhea said.
"We need… to… protect… everyone! Aahh…" Flayn added with a displeasing whine.
"I say we evacuate the Monastery immediately," Byleth suggested.
"No, it would be too late… we need… there is one way… we can save everyone…" Rhea rebutted.
"How?" Byleth asked.
"If all of … the Crest Holders can gather to me…. we can create a shield strong… strong enough to withstand the Dark Magics. We can… we can save the Monastery… save everyone…" Rhea said.
"Use our Crests? That could be dangerous." Ashe protested.
Byleth pondered. Rhea was one of the foremost experts in Magic in the Officer's Academy and her skill in the arcane arts was unparalleled and the envy of all other Mages in the Continent. Then again, in one of Professor's dreams, he could see the prophetic visions of several dark individuals summoning great balls of fire raining down from the sky. In all of her dreams, the Professor saw these 'Javelin's of Light' scorch the earth and its devouring flames extinguishing all life in its wake. Deep down she knows that the Archbishop was attempting to warn her flock of their impending doom, much to the callowness of everyone around her.
"Let's do it." Byleth said.
"Excuse me Professor?" Mercedes protested.
"If the attack is immediate then we must protect the Monastery. There is no point in running away now and allowing these Cultists to get their hands on the weapons." Byleth reasoned.
"But performing such a Spell could risk the exhaustion of our Mages." Lysithea argued.
She knew that such a Shield Spell large enough to protect the monastery would be an extremely strenuous effort risking the lives of all of the Magic-Users in the Monastery. Just then, the rest of her students after hearing Mercedes' cries for help gathered around Rhea.
"We cannot risk this Dark Cult to just overrun this monastery. There is too much to lose if this next attack by the enemy strikes us all down." Byleth said.
"I agree with the Professor. Even if this will make the Mages to retire from the battle, we still have the Walls intact. If they dare try to strike us after this next assault, we still have the defensive advantage." Edelgard supported.
"I rather fight inside the walls than out in the open." Claude nodded in agreement.
"No." Dimitri objected. "The consequence of losing our mages could be what this Dark Cult wants us to do."
"I do not see any other options Dimitri." Edelgard pointed out. "Do you?" the Princess of Hresvelg asked.
"I…I… we… can…" Dimitri muttered, now left in a loss of words.
"Dimitri, I can do it. We need to protect the monastery." Mercedes reassured him.
"Fine, the Blue Lions will protect all of you as you cast your Ward." Dimitri nodded.
"Quickly the shield now!" Byleth rallied the Monastery's defenders.
The mages of the Monastery, some being Byleth's own students gathered around a clearing in Garreg Mach's open-spaced courtyard, sweat fell down from their brows from the prodigal Lysithea to the sleeping genius that was Lindhardt as they stood before Rhea.
They all stood silently as Rhea stepped forward with her distinctive head garments to the Students, Garrison and the Faculty of Garreg Mach.
"My Children, we have fought together on this long night against the Dark Ones. For all of your valor… I must say I am very sorry for bringing this unto you." Lady Rhea spoke.
"Bringing this? What do you mean?" Byleth questioned.
"My dear child, I know the answers to what you seek. But now is not the time…" Rhea smiled.
"Answers? What are you talking about?" Edelgard stepped forward.
"All in due time." She paused her hand. "We must protect the Monastery from Those who Slither in the Dark or all will be lost. We must shield ourselves from their hateful lies and disgusting machinations. On this day, the Dark Ones, those of Nemesis' foul lineage will know tonight that we will not be vanquished under his tyranny." The Archbishop gave a valiant speech to the cheer of the faithful flocks before her.
"Lady Rhea! Lady Rhea!" Gatekeeper shouted across the distance. "There's… There's a big light shining over the hills by the south!" he said.
"This is it." Rhea swallowed her composure.
"Everyone! Create a Barrier that is large enough to shield the entire Monastery!" Hannerman rallied.
All the magically inclined attendants of them raised their hands to the sky as their Magical powers conjured upwards to the sky. Thanks to Lady Rhea and the more venerable Priests and Warlocks of the Church of Seiros, their powers were amplified as an immaculate pearl bubble shielded Garreg Mach from all corners up to the very tip of its fortified walls. However, the sheer demanding commitment of such a large-scale spell were starting to befell several of the members already as the first Javelin of Light striking the land scale sized shield
"Ah…" Annette collapsed.
Dimitri rushed to his fellow Blue Lion's aid and held her hand can caressing her head on his knee.
"Stay with me!" Dimitri begged. "Stay with me Annie."
He carried his fellow housemate over who became too weak to continue onwards. Their protective spell worked for the first volley of this final desperate attempt for the Dark Ones to destroy their hated enemy. But there was cost, some of the more sophomoric magic users collapsed upon the first attack. Thankfully immediate attention was given to these young ones by Professor Manuela.
"There is another one coming!" Gatekeeper screamed.
"Hold!" Byleth shouted.
The next Agarthan Javelin of Light impacted atop the Monastery. Yet the shield stood firm. Yet by the gnashing of their teeth, the second attack was arduous than the last. Even Lady Rhea herself, her skin sweating and her pristine whites exposed to her constituents as her magical prowess was tested to the limits.
"No… No more!" Lindhardt tapped out as he fell down on his knees.
"I can't take more… I am… sorry…" Marianne collapsed.
The two were immediately taken away from the circle of magi. Byleth was now starting to worry much more as several more of the mages collapsed.
"One…there's one more!" Gatekeeper yelled.
"HOLD!" Byleth rallied to the rest of the remaining spellcasters.
The third and final Javelin of Light impacted their shield once more as the weakened shield from the attrition of Garreg Mach's resolute yet slowly exhausting reserves of Mages barely held on. Their fractured projected output put to the ultimate test.
The rumbling of the ground upon the Agarthan's impact cracked the Monastery's grounds knocking the unready off of their feet. Indeed, to all of the residents of Garreg Mach, Agarthans, these Dark Ones were indeed unbelievably powerful and tenacious.
"You… are… NOT…. WELCOME… HERE!" Rhea roared draconicaly with a sentinel's dogma.
Her body and eyes grew a bright shade of beryl as Rhea gave out her all of her strength to maintain the shield.
As the last of the shockwave of the Javelin of Light's wake dissipated. There was silence. A long agonizing silence as the Mages continued to raise their hands to the sky. Battered but still resolute especially the Archbishop, Lady Rhea who's groomed hair that she took great care to maintain her tender aspect was now loosened with strings of her emerald hair hanging loosely around her face like a she-tramp mired down from the inescapable hardship of poverty. Even the stains of battle on her once snowy robes completed the look.
At first, everyone was left on edge, not daring to lift the shield, less a fourth attempt to finally break the Monastery was attempted.
"They… I can see their banners! Everyone! They are retreating! The enemy is retreating!" the Gatekeeper cheered.
"We did it!" Claude cheered.
Everyone in the monastery broke into cries of relief and happiness. The now exhausted mages congratulated each other and embraced each other. Dorothea and Manuela broke into song and dance that was quickly joined by Claude, Raphael, Sylvain, Hilda and Lorenz. Even Dimitri offered his hand to Edelgard for a moment to enjoy themselves in free-spiritedness like their childhood.
But most miraculous of all was Byleth Eisner herself. She gave what was the most extensive smile she had ever emitted from herself in quite a long time as the Professor remembered. Several of the male students and faculty of Garreg Mach commented that Byleth's smile, upon the rare occasion she does smile, was said to make even the likes of Rhea's, to be only subpar.
"We did it, my daughter." Jeralt pat-down on Byleth's shoulder.
"Thank you all of you." Byleth nodded to all the congratulatory remarks from her peers.
"My child…" Rhea approached her with the support of Seteth and Catherine holding both of her hands for support as she feebly approached Byleth.
"Lady Rhea! You are hurt." The Professor noticed.
"I will be okay my dear child. But for now, I must retire…" she answered.
"May I ask… you know?" Byleth asked Lady Rhea about the Professor's own independent study.
"When I finally recover my strength. Come and see me. You deserve, many answers… about you, Sitra and… everything about the Crests and Relics." She smiled.
Byleth silently nodded as they took the Archbishop to her quarters.
It was a long day for everyone in the Monastery as the sun finally arose from the horizon bringing in a hopeful dawn Garreg Mach. As the blackness of the night unveiled a rare sight for all the residents, even if the moment was fleeting…
From the shadow of the Oghma Mountain valley's desolation, a new ray of light emerged from the rising of the sun. An Amaranthine Sky pierced last night's grey clouds, dissipating them allowing a cooling pre-morning wind to soothe the sudorific defenders of the most sacred place in all of Fódlan.
-(Meanwhile on Orbit) -
The HNS Shisho of the Faster than Light civilization of the Hanjian Empyrean surveyed the star system with curious glee. Led by the aged Hanjian Imperial Surveyor, Doctor Sima Kai, his mandate was to explore the unexplored regions of space in the name of the Hanjian Empyrean and also the entirety of the Communal Alliance of the Orion's Arm which included the United Nations of Earth, the Blorg Commonality, the Empyrean herself, and the venerable Ecclesiarchy of Brannil. Formed from a pragmatic defensive alliance that evolved into a loosely tied association of Star Nations cooperating together in economics and scientific research with minor influence on more spiritual affairs from the Ecclessiarchy's significant cultural influence.
But for Surveyor Sima Kai, his mandate is mostly nationalistic. The Hanjian Dynasty has been facing a creeping deficit of Energy Credits from their Stockpile and has ordered his Imperial Surveyors to search for more sources of Energy to feed the Empyrean, failure would bring a great shame to anyone's reputation that Sima, which in Hanjian culture, your collective family name is stated first before your individual first name. He is escorted by a ragtag company of the Commune's pooled units into a Legion for his Surveyor ship's protection. Unlike the loftier full-fledged units, the ones escorting the HNS Shisho were at best a ragtag group of brave men organized into a Rifle regiment called the 19th Rifles Regiment. Consisting of the old guarded and clean slated soldiers, followed by the Crocodilian Sek-Lakkor warriors hoping that by the end of their service they can be granted the coveted Citizenship into the Commune, and Earthlings 'donated' by the Union who would normally as Sima Kai would admit, wound up in prison if not for the chance of a wiped slate in making it through five years of service to the Alliance in exchange for avoiding the rotting cells of the Earthling Penal system.
Back then the Science Ships would have been alone in exploring the unknown fringes of the galaxy. But after several tragic incidents of encountering hostile aliens ranging from thunderous gas, enraged crystals, and even a giant Ether Dragon, all Surveyor Ships would have an armed escort for its protection. Surveyors were some of the most prestigious positions in the Imperial Court of Hanjin and their education and the specially crafted vessels were expensive to the point of pricelessness. The Empyrean valued brave explorer who dared to go where no Hanjian had ever dared to go before.
For the Surveyor today, today is a routine day. Survey the star system, list down any unique features and upload them through the Ethernet for his superior's review. The Star he surveyed was out of the fringes of the unclaimed galaxy from the Emyprean's and Sek-Lakkor's territories that was the eastern frontier of the Commune. From what he had gathered the most interesting feature of the Star System was that there was a habitable planet of a Continental climate. He has yet to drive his ship over to scan it until suddenly one of his Computer Technicians in charge of monitoring the scanners stood up from his seat alarmingly.
"Surveyor! I have something!" the Technician said.
"What is it?" Sima Kai rushed towards him.
"The planet, the one that is feasible for colonization. My computer detected an Anomaly." He reported.
"What is its nature?" the Surveyor asked.
"A Sudden Energy Spike milord. My computer detected an anomalous signal. I... wait…" the Technician turned back to his screen
His monitor no longer read alarmingly as the Computer Technician dreaded. The look on his golden pupils shrinking down made the Empyreal Surveyor curl his forehead in curiosity. He had been with the same Technician and Scientific Crew for thirty long years and knew the Technician personally on his long voyages across the stars. Looking back
"How much Energy was it expending?" the Surveyor inquired.
"Enough to make the Empyreal Miners Guild rush down here. It was one great heat outflow and then it's gone." The Technician briefly summarized.
"Curious, very curious." The Surveyor grasped his long chin. "If my colleague from the Commonality is here, he wouldn't see the end of it. Can't wait to show him the reports. It would be nice to have Doctor Uriah over for some Spiced Tea. He would love to see this."
In his experience, many planets were not as what they seemed. One time he had dismissed a rocky planet for a completely barren lump of rock before discovering there is a whole cache of frozen water underneath its surface. Another time, a promising patch of green shrubbery from the surveying equipment turned out to be just a luminescent jade rock that when under sunlight creates the illusion of greenery in an otherwise desert filled wasteland of a planet.
Perhaps the planet had a phenomenon of sudden energy spikes of either Nuclear-Electrical or Geo-thermic origins that the Empyrean will not pass up to exploit and harvest. They tend to be fickle in their expelling's but if controlled can be used to harvest a profitable amount of Energy Credits for the Empyrean's use.
Energy Credits is a universal commodity across the Milky Way galaxy. Able to be used to not only to cover the recurring expenses such as maintenance of buildings, ships, spaceport modules, stations. But it is also used as a universal means of foreign exchange between Star Nations for goods and services.
"What should we do?" the Technician asked.
"Send in a Probe to be sure then I want a Team to be attached to it. I don't want any sort of surprises for the Probe when it does its investigation." The Doctor said.
"Affirmative milord. Contacting our Escort Regiment." The Technician nodded.
-(At the Loading Bay of the HNS Shisho) -
"Orders from Hanjian." Commissar Liyu Chung said to his team.
A Political Officer from Hanjia from the Office of Internal Security with competency with Psionics for mostly supportive roles (but he does know a few tricks to help subdue hostiles offensively), he was assigned by his superiors to oversee the Sek-Lakkor Warriors and Earthling Penal Troops. But if you were to ask him, it was a demotion, a reassignment to a far fringe and unglamorous position within the Empyrean handling prospective folks looking to complete their due diligence service. He rather not explains why he was truly there, to begin with as it would be too stressful for an otherwise highly exhaustive job ensuring the cohesion of the Communal Alliance. Thankfully, that's what his packet stash of Zro is for, helps him both use his latent Psionic Abilities and also gives him a sense of control of himself.
"Pepek! How are you doing." Commissar Chung tuned to a tall and foreboding Sek-Lakkor clad in Empyreal Heavy Armor modified to fit his Crocodilian physiology.
"Who need's thrashing?" the Crocodilian warrior asked but he quickly bit his own tongue. "I mean, what does the Empyrean require of the Sek-Lakkor's?" Pepek corrected.
The Warrior stood more than 6'5 feet long fastening his armor across his already thick ridged scales, easily towering over everyone in the room.
Pepek or Yide as his stylized Hanjian name goes was trying to get used to his new heavy armor, often fighting light or no protection at all, he wanted to show the Empyrean and the Commune as a whole that he is worthy of Citizenship. His dream was to become an Empyrean Gate Guard, one of the most prestigious positions in the Empyrean for an honorable warrior such as himself. The Empyrean armor he was given was a subpar and less decorative version of the Empyrean Gate Guard's armor but was weighed and shaped the same. It covered his body in head to toe and the protective material that is designed to stop shrapnel, plasma fire, and heavy blunt blows was stacked like scales adorned over an encircling neck brace and a matching helmet that deviates from the standard design to allow the faceplate of the Armor to show accommodate the Sek-Lakkor's snout with a face-covering shaped like a bird's beak. For his weapon, he was equipped with a High Frequency 'Guardian's Halberd' a polearm with the dual function of a molecularly damaging capable blade and an assault rifle attached atop the blade for an attack in range, a standard armament for a Gate Guardian. To best describe any Sek-Lakkor Crocodilian without going down to their obvious reptilian physiology, Pepek's kind is like Fire. Always eager to prove their individual merit especially to potential female mates or lesser peers. If such zoological observations weren't enough a Sek-Lakkor would always when they ever came in contact with a new adversary or obstacle the words:
"HHYYYYYIIIIIIIIEEEE! Dwamak!"
Dwamak meaning in their tongue 'Obstacle' or 'Foreigner' depending on the context.
"Escort today, again with the good Doctor. But nothing for a big guy like you right? Are you up for the challenge?" Chung smiled.
The Sek-Lakkor were respected warriors in the Commune's Society, although not a member due to their lack of a centralized authority thanks to their deviant nature. What is most common of these six-foot-tall Crocodilian arthropods was their physical ferocity. The Commune often hire them as mercenaries before eventually granting several of them honorary citizenship within the Commune.
"Oh, you look great Pepek. Like a real Gate Guard." smiled Carl 'Glass' Delcrys.
An indebted art student from the United Nations of Earth or the Union for short. His reasons for being attached to the 19th was for servile reasons. He took being 'donated' for the Communal Alliance Army over a hard laboring sentence in a debt internment facility. To his friends, he can be described when not looking under the scope, to have a very active imagination with his level of conceptualization expanding into an Inland Empire that would dwarf the ancient Mongolian and Roman Empires of his own kind. Along with his sharp eye for detail made Carl an excellent sharpshooter and spotter. Such characteristics made him quite a clever fellow that even surprised the more venerable Hanjian's in several fields. Carl was also perhaps the most optimistic of the bunch of the unit able to make light of even the direst of situations. He was like water, always flowing and always adaptive to whatever situation is at hand.
"It is good to breathe fresh air Dwamak." Pepek smiled with his big sharp teeth.
"Yeah… just keep your kind's 'Hiyeee' screaming a good distance away from most of us when you see a hill to climb on." Chung brushed off.
"I actually would love to scream along with you. Being inside the Shisho and having to observe silence can get to a Human-like me." Carl added.
"You will all get the screaming and fresh oxygen now Soldiers." The voice of the Surveyor interrupted raising the three Legionnaire's hairs.
The three soldiers alongside the rest of the 19th in the Loading Bay of the Shisho saluted the revered Surveyor of the Hanjian Empyrean.
"Please, no need for me to be honored too much. I am just the Emperor's eyes and you are arms. All equal under the body that is the Empyrean and the Commune." Sima Kai humbled himself.
"Milord, is it true that you too will come with us on this incursion?" Liyu Chung asked.
He was rather alarmed on how the Surveyor was very outgoing when it comes to the exploration of habitable worlds. Most Surveyors of his rank wouldn't normally dare leave the safety of their Scientific Research Spaceships due to so many dangers the Galaxy presented itself bluntly to the Communal Alliance. Him being a recent addition to the 19th helping none of the culture shock of the more on-field hands that run the Empyrean away from the lofty gardens of Hanjian.
"In my experience young one. There are many things in this world that is more than just being what we are today. Heaven above us and near us showed us its splendor. Learn to humble yourself Commissar for once. Not everything has to be of the Empyrean's Laws. There are more, spectacular things to see in the Galaxy, and WE will be perhaps the first to witness it." He said.
"Indeed… we shall." Chung gulped. He was more used to stricter guidelines than the avant-garde surveyor.
"Now help me up on my All-Terrain Equestrian soldier." The Surveyor requested.
He was shorter than even Carl is and the elevated seat of his mechanical horse required a boost that Pepek carried him over with. The All-Terrain Equestrian compared to the wheeled All-Terrain Vehicle had all the benefits of a legged creature, more stability, more control and freedom of movement without the traditional inconveniences of having to feed it constantly with food and water (except in the case of replace the word 'water' for the clause of 'Energy Battery'. Plus, they are much more customizable in appearance allowing a Civilian user to decorate his Robotic Horse in all sorts of colors and decals. But for the ATE's that the Empyrean rides today, it comes in the Purple primary color with the symbol of their Star, Nus branded on ATE's 'skull' along with matching heraldry befitting for one under the Empyreal Office.
The rest of the men boarded their ATE's or the Hovercraft containing the expedition's Camping Supplies and Scientific Instruments. Leading the way forward was a bannerman by Sima Kai's right hand, proudly hanging the combined flag of the solar Banner of Empyreal Hanjian and the Communal Alliance ringed unity of spheres. Ready to stake their founding on the new world.
All Departing Personnel, landing on the Planet's surface, Estimated time of arrival. 10 minutes
Pepek, disobeying protocol, in his eagerness to breath fresh air again, pulled up bis beaked helmet just as the Ramparts opened down for their departure.
"This world, why does it fume such power?" Liyu Chung sensed as he breathed the planet's fresh wind of oxygen. He could see his Psionic Amplifier twitch with excitement by his pocket.
Something was mystical yet so badly needed for the Empyrean he calls home. Perhaps the coordinates that lead to a formation of mountains in the middle of one such continent can provide the answers to the whispers in his mind.
"Delcrys, try not to get too distracted again." the Commissar requested.
"But the trees and the lovely fresh air?" Glass chided.
"Hyiiee!" all the Sek-Lakkors raised their Guardian Halberds to the sky.
"Onwards!" Sima Kai shouted optimistically shouted. Thrusting his sabre forward.
AN: Hello, Hello! I am new found fan of Fire Emblem 3 Houses plus I play some other strategy games like Stellaris, Total War and some violent ones (to satiate my murder lust).
But don't be fooled! I can be artsy and smart when time arises when I write papers… rushing jobs for College trains you to write long and write fast. A habit I have developed.
Anyways, there will be more Xenos coming into Fodlan in later chapters like Sima Kai's Commonality colleague.
I wonder how everyone will react to Stellaris' friendly neighborhood shroomies from above the Arm huh?
Anyways next chapter will have a bit of a thematic 'trailer' of sorts and of course the inevitable First Contact between Empyreal Hanjian and the locals of Fódlan.
Together, they will build a new tomorrow, or die trying…